You could search for all the time in the world, to find a great opportunity, but so long as you're searching through all the bog of opportunities, you may never find the best one for you. Look, for anybody, anything could work, and work very well. It just depends on who you are, and what the opportunity is. You could already have a great business going, it doesn't matter if it's a big business, or a small more local business. It could even be a small info or blog business on the internet. The potential is always greater.
Without realizing potential, you're stuck in the same place. And growth takes much time, not to mention the growing pains. I used to look at potential as a good thing when I was much younger. I took it as a compliment. Then after some consideration I decided it was not a good thing. Why? Because if somebody says you have potential, that must mean that you have something that is not yet realized to you, or by you... Now, I look at it both ways. Potential is both good and bad, because although it is yet unrealized, it is a good thing you should seek hard to realize.
Your business has potential. It can either succeed or fail. While failure leads to lessons learned, it is the way that people would rather not go. Myself included. I'd rather be seen as sitting idle, than as a failure, but it is always better to fail while trying, than to succeed at not trying. Both ways are failure, but one way has a better chance of success. You've always got to try, if you are to get where you want to be. What if there was a way to have something work for you, like your website? Or a company that makes websites, runs the advertising and marketing side for you, where all you have to do is customize it, or tell them what you want? Sounds expensive to me. Although in reality there is such a company, and the cost is less than running a 2" by 4" yellow pages add, and at the same time delivers way more return.
Hey, I've worked for companies where they provided the vehicle, to take you to neighborhoods, and then you walked and hiked your tail off knocking on doors trying to get someone to invite you inside. I've been kicked off front porches, threatened, known people who were shot at, and had guns pointed in their faces. Hah! What risk for such little in return! I was selling meat out of a freezer hooked up on the back of a pickup truck in Florida when I happened to knock on one door, the last door of the day, and it was getting dark out. The gentleman answered, and by the way everything was happening inside after I knocked, I knew he had a gun with him at the door.
When he opened the door, I started with something along the line of "Don't shoot, I'm a veteran!" Not that its actually what I said, but it was the jist of what I tried to get across! What I said isn't important, what happened after is. He had just got a coupon from a competitor (Omaha Steaks) and happened to mistake me as being them, since they were expecting a caller. I told him how much better quality our steaks were, and told him I'd come in and show him. Now I hadn't seen the gun the man had, I just new he had one behind his back when he answered the door, so when I got the box off the truck and went inside I saw it laying on the table. Great conversation starter when you've been in Iraq!
What was important to that man when I got the sale was the coupon he had, and after our conversation it was obvious that he wanted to buy from me, I had gained credibility with him. Omaha didn't matter to either of us beyond that coupon, which I eagerly took. The sale was mine. The important fact to note? I could have quit working as it was getting dark (and you're not supposed to knock on somebodies door after the sun goes down according to law,) I could have said, well, I didn't sell anything today, I might as well quit now and try again tomorrow. I could have run away when I knew he had a gun at the door! I don't know what motivated me to that last door, maybe it was the sales lectures I'd heard many times, about the last door so often being the only sale of the day, just keep going! If I hadn't kept going, and knocked just that one last door, such amazing timing would have never been realized!
What I do know, is that timing is everything. And I never knew when was the right place at the right time. Time is so important to our existence, everything that surrounds us, all of the business, or personal life in the world revolves around time. It is the dimension that we have not mastered, and it is what binds us on a continuous race to our end. We cannot give up on it, because it will not give up on us! You have the opportunity to do something with your time, or to watch it fly by.
Don't give up your time, it is limited, don't waste it, it is more valuable than money itself. Thank God for such amazing events of timing, as it becomes more and more obvious to me everyday that he is the orchestrator of such wonderful timing.
Don't give up your search! No matter who you are, or what your position, if you are a military person, looking ahead at that 20 or so year retirement, that pension will seem much smaller when you actually get it than it does today. Stay at home mom? You have the time, just as you have the need. Become a Work at Home Mom, everybody knows that every little bit helps, and even moreso would we all agree that a lot more helps a lot more!
If the time I've spent saying no to different opportunities was wise, then it is just as wise for you to heed my advice. By the way, all I'm saying is; Do Something Valuable with your Time!
Saturday, June 26, 2010
The Journey
Ahh, the journey, searching for a way to start a business, with no overhead. And lets face it, why no overhead? Because I don't have any to invest. Especially now with the economy being the way it is, I've got to start something up with no overhead, but that will market to the entire nation, no, not just the entire nation, the whole world. My, what an order for an opportunity to fill!
Look, if you're looking for a good opportunity, maybe you're looking for similar reasons as I am, or maybe you could invest in something, great. I've found it. And having money to invest will just get you a leg up. Not that it will matter, much to me, I can still make that extra income I want, at the same time you're getting yours. You could even have a blog or business site that is already generating a substantial income or following, or even limited amount of sales leads, or customers; the opportunity is for you to increase your business potential. Rather than starting a second income.
I told you I was going to talk about my walk and experiences along the way, and what a story, I should be able to deliver. Ever since before I left home and joined the military I've had different offers made to me, even from my own parents to start the schemes they were starting. But even then I may have gotten excited about it at first, that excitement was quickly drained by the realization that those businesses couldn't really deliver on the promises they made. Even though I wanted to get-rich-quick, somehow I knew it wasn't possible.
The only way to make a bunch of money real quick, is to have a bunch of money already. It takes money to make money. Oh, but whats cool about this one statement of fact, is that time is money. And the time I have invested into searching, my oh my. I've had a picture of what I wanted to do, the business I desired to be involved in, the way that it should work, for a long time. Basically, I've had the vision, I just needed the reality.
I remember while selling cars at Sandy Sansing in Pensacola Florida, a network marketer set his eyes on recruiting me, and the time spent just thinking about this offer, (it was the "new" Amway,) just took from the time I spent doing my actual job. I was constantly trying to sell him on getting a new Chrysler to replace his old convertible, and he was constantly trying to get me to join his "team." If I'm to have two things happening, (ie. a job, and a business, ) then neither can interfere with the other, or else both will fail. That's the way I see it. Here's something I learned about sales, of any kind, you have to create a bond with the people you are trying to turn into clients.
For instance, while I was selling Chryslers, a pretty young lady and her two young children had come to look at our selection of vans. In case you didn't know, Chrysler is more well known for their vans than for the 300's, having such great features, and being the first company to make a minivan. I had before walked a potential customer around a van showing off all of its great features, and they walked out the door complimenting me to my manager for my great knowledge of our products, but they left without me getting the sale!
To continue with my story, I took the young lady and her children to the lineup of vans, on our company golf cart, to show off our companies product, and understand what features were most important to her, so that we could pick out the perfect van for her family. When we had found the perfect van, and decided to return to the sales floor to figure out the "numbers" as car salesmen and managers so affectionately refer to the sales price; I hopped up front of the cart, and she and her two children sat on the back. I turned it around, and hit a dip in the ground, that was a small shallow ditch, and in the middle of the turn the bump caused me to punch the petal, which in turn sent the young lady and her two children flying off the back of the golf cart.
We were both so embarrassed by the incident, that upon returning inside, the sale could not have gone more smoothly, and she wound up driving off in a brand new Chrysler minivan, leaving me behind completely confused and wondering how that, of all things wound up in a sale!
Why? Why would one couple walk out after such a great presentation, and another buy after such an experience? The difference is in the words themselves - with one potential customer I gave a successful presentation, and with the other, we had a mutual experience. Experiences create memories, that last a lifetime. A presentation, is easily and very soon forgotten.
I'll tell you more in my next blog post. Maybe I can hit my goal of one blog post per day.. So far this is the second, and there is so much more to tell! I don't usually tell stories in person, primarily because that invites the other party or persons to tell a similar story just to one-up my own. This does not create the lasting impression of an experience that I want to leave a conversation with. But here, I want it. I want to read your stories of similar interest! Tell me about some experience you've had that wound up giving the results you desired, but did not at all happen the way you intended!
We all need a good laugh, especially at our own selves! After all, Laughter is the best medicine!
Look, if you're looking for a good opportunity, maybe you're looking for similar reasons as I am, or maybe you could invest in something, great. I've found it. And having money to invest will just get you a leg up. Not that it will matter, much to me, I can still make that extra income I want, at the same time you're getting yours. You could even have a blog or business site that is already generating a substantial income or following, or even limited amount of sales leads, or customers; the opportunity is for you to increase your business potential. Rather than starting a second income.
I told you I was going to talk about my walk and experiences along the way, and what a story, I should be able to deliver. Ever since before I left home and joined the military I've had different offers made to me, even from my own parents to start the schemes they were starting. But even then I may have gotten excited about it at first, that excitement was quickly drained by the realization that those businesses couldn't really deliver on the promises they made. Even though I wanted to get-rich-quick, somehow I knew it wasn't possible.
The only way to make a bunch of money real quick, is to have a bunch of money already. It takes money to make money. Oh, but whats cool about this one statement of fact, is that time is money. And the time I have invested into searching, my oh my. I've had a picture of what I wanted to do, the business I desired to be involved in, the way that it should work, for a long time. Basically, I've had the vision, I just needed the reality.
I remember while selling cars at Sandy Sansing in Pensacola Florida, a network marketer set his eyes on recruiting me, and the time spent just thinking about this offer, (it was the "new" Amway,) just took from the time I spent doing my actual job. I was constantly trying to sell him on getting a new Chrysler to replace his old convertible, and he was constantly trying to get me to join his "team." If I'm to have two things happening, (ie. a job, and a business, ) then neither can interfere with the other, or else both will fail. That's the way I see it. Here's something I learned about sales, of any kind, you have to create a bond with the people you are trying to turn into clients.
For instance, while I was selling Chryslers, a pretty young lady and her two young children had come to look at our selection of vans. In case you didn't know, Chrysler is more well known for their vans than for the 300's, having such great features, and being the first company to make a minivan. I had before walked a potential customer around a van showing off all of its great features, and they walked out the door complimenting me to my manager for my great knowledge of our products, but they left without me getting the sale!
To continue with my story, I took the young lady and her children to the lineup of vans, on our company golf cart, to show off our companies product, and understand what features were most important to her, so that we could pick out the perfect van for her family. When we had found the perfect van, and decided to return to the sales floor to figure out the "numbers" as car salesmen and managers so affectionately refer to the sales price; I hopped up front of the cart, and she and her two children sat on the back. I turned it around, and hit a dip in the ground, that was a small shallow ditch, and in the middle of the turn the bump caused me to punch the petal, which in turn sent the young lady and her two children flying off the back of the golf cart.
We were both so embarrassed by the incident, that upon returning inside, the sale could not have gone more smoothly, and she wound up driving off in a brand new Chrysler minivan, leaving me behind completely confused and wondering how that, of all things wound up in a sale!
Why? Why would one couple walk out after such a great presentation, and another buy after such an experience? The difference is in the words themselves - with one potential customer I gave a successful presentation, and with the other, we had a mutual experience. Experiences create memories, that last a lifetime. A presentation, is easily and very soon forgotten.
I'll tell you more in my next blog post. Maybe I can hit my goal of one blog post per day.. So far this is the second, and there is so much more to tell! I don't usually tell stories in person, primarily because that invites the other party or persons to tell a similar story just to one-up my own. This does not create the lasting impression of an experience that I want to leave a conversation with. But here, I want it. I want to read your stories of similar interest! Tell me about some experience you've had that wound up giving the results you desired, but did not at all happen the way you intended!
We all need a good laugh, especially at our own selves! After all, Laughter is the best medicine!
Search for a Startup Business
I can remember, as a child and teen, my parents trying all kinds of ideas, to make an extra income, from Amway (yes even Amway) to health food, and supplements (like colloidal silver) even now today, still the same thing. My Dad owns his own businesses, and for as long as I can remember its always been on the brink of starvation, monetary-wise, as what would seem to me to be a product of their goals being far to spread out over different mediums.
I've always been concerned with having my eggs in more than one basket, but the right way to do that? Personally, I've always been shy of pyramid structures, network marketing, and get-rich-quick schemes, always promising more than they can deliver. Always requiring some type of prior investment to beginning. I wanted something that would deliver results, yes at the cost of time, but without the start-up overhead, or capital, before I could see the actual results for myself.
I've had salesmen from all walks of life, in all types of schemes try to pitch me on this or that extra income, selling this or that type of product, and to be honest, its not the products that I've had the problem with; It is the entire manner of business with which they choose to go about selling those products, and paying minimal return to their associates, for all the hard work it takes to add maybe $500 a month extra to their income stream.
This is not my preferred manner of conducting business. I wouldn't conduct my personal business that way, so why would I choose to become involved with theirs in the first place. Men and women have wasted countless hours trying to convince me that whatever they were doing was the way I was meant to go, and the way I was supposed to become successful for myself. I stand by my decision not to get involved with such schemes, I have been to their homes and heard their lectures, heard the testimonials, and seen the "big dog" of the local or state-wide structure influencing these people to continue.
From mongo juice or whatever its actually called, being God's promised manna from heaven, or whatever craziness, to Amway's new changed business name, with the same old structure, where they can brag about having generated the highest sales, or whatever it is they claim (reasonably, to me these claims went right in one ear and out the other)...
I chose, and still choose to stay as far away from involvement as possible. Maybe my childhood and teenage experiences watching my parents try time and again to make a decent extra income by such means, that I have become such a personal watchdog against them, maybe it was the fact that I was raise on the brink of poverty, while my parents were promised one big payout after another. For whatever reason, I have been content to go my own way, to work whatever job was available, to do anything in my power to prove that my decisions have been correct.
I've been searching for that opportunity (some say take all the opportunities you can get, as they come, don't pass anything up, or it will pass you by) I still retain my right to be picky and choosy about who I let rob me blind! Why? Cause I don't want to get robbed blind!
Oh my word, I could tell you so much more about the different things I have done. And I promise I will, in the next blog entry, I'll tell you about some more personal and face-to-face experiences and jobs I've had, from being a car salesman, to knocking on doors. What a wild ride. Sometimes in life it takes some very hard roads, before you find the right one.
I've always been concerned with having my eggs in more than one basket, but the right way to do that? Personally, I've always been shy of pyramid structures, network marketing, and get-rich-quick schemes, always promising more than they can deliver. Always requiring some type of prior investment to beginning. I wanted something that would deliver results, yes at the cost of time, but without the start-up overhead, or capital, before I could see the actual results for myself.
I've had salesmen from all walks of life, in all types of schemes try to pitch me on this or that extra income, selling this or that type of product, and to be honest, its not the products that I've had the problem with; It is the entire manner of business with which they choose to go about selling those products, and paying minimal return to their associates, for all the hard work it takes to add maybe $500 a month extra to their income stream.
This is not my preferred manner of conducting business. I wouldn't conduct my personal business that way, so why would I choose to become involved with theirs in the first place. Men and women have wasted countless hours trying to convince me that whatever they were doing was the way I was meant to go, and the way I was supposed to become successful for myself. I stand by my decision not to get involved with such schemes, I have been to their homes and heard their lectures, heard the testimonials, and seen the "big dog" of the local or state-wide structure influencing these people to continue.
From mongo juice or whatever its actually called, being God's promised manna from heaven, or whatever craziness, to Amway's new changed business name, with the same old structure, where they can brag about having generated the highest sales, or whatever it is they claim (reasonably, to me these claims went right in one ear and out the other)...
I chose, and still choose to stay as far away from involvement as possible. Maybe my childhood and teenage experiences watching my parents try time and again to make a decent extra income by such means, that I have become such a personal watchdog against them, maybe it was the fact that I was raise on the brink of poverty, while my parents were promised one big payout after another. For whatever reason, I have been content to go my own way, to work whatever job was available, to do anything in my power to prove that my decisions have been correct.
I've been searching for that opportunity (some say take all the opportunities you can get, as they come, don't pass anything up, or it will pass you by) I still retain my right to be picky and choosy about who I let rob me blind! Why? Cause I don't want to get robbed blind!
Oh my word, I could tell you so much more about the different things I have done. And I promise I will, in the next blog entry, I'll tell you about some more personal and face-to-face experiences and jobs I've had, from being a car salesman, to knocking on doors. What a wild ride. Sometimes in life it takes some very hard roads, before you find the right one.
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